A neurologist will repay $1.5 million in Medicare rebates after the Professional Services Review found he altered EEG referrals to claim higher rebates and inaccurately reported nerve conduction tests.

A Professional Services Review (PSR) panel found that the unidentified neurologist had claimed MBS item 11003 for an EEG of at least three hours, with a schedule fee of $358, without clinical indication or after failing to complete the procedure in a “clinically appropriate way”.

“In some instances a standard EEG was requested, and the referral was amended to a prolonged EEG, on what appeared to be a financial, rather than a clinical basis,” the PSR said in its latest update.

It also found the neurologist had repeatedly billed a $247 MBS item for nerve conduction studies without adequately supervising the technicians performing the studies.